Almost Perfect
by Shugoshin
Summary: Kagome, the tomboyish princess of a powerful country, is turning fifteen- the age of consent in her kingdom. As suitors pour in from all across the world, Kagome is faced with the threat of war if she does not marry a certain crimson-eyed lord.
1. One of A Kind

One of a kind

Hello all! - after reading fanfics for almost a year, I decided to try my luck writing one. Hopefully it won't turn out too disastrous, enjoy!

Disclaimer: Do you think I would be here writing a **fan**fiction if I own Inuyasha? Thought so -.

…

Every person had heard of the land where rice fields spread out further than the eye could see, where small streams and large lakes sparkled beneath the golden sun, where the king and queen ruled fair and just over their land with their beautiful young daughter, princess Kagome. But then again, the young princess was usually what caught most of the attention of peasants and nobles alike.

Slowly the kingdom prospered like no other, yet there were always problems that came with a fair place such as this one. Many have kept their eyes on the kingdom, silently waiting for the day when they would take the land by force...or marriage. Thus, when the princess came to the marrying age, a stampede of suitors soon followed…and with it, came only the beginning of troubles for the fair young princess. 

…

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, the young princess perfected her stance, and drew a single arrow from her quiver, notching it expertly. Slowly drawing back the string, Kagome took care not to ruffle the feathers that she spent such laborious hours making in secrecy.

She was only thirteen when she had first discovered the joys of archery, and had surprised her sensei when she had hit the bull's-eye on her first shot. Ever since, she had been interested in swordsmanship and skills of such. Of course, she knew that her parents would not approve of her learning 'unladylike skills'. So she kept it a secret from them, and whenever she had to chance, she would sneak out of the palace as a maid running an errand, and run off to her semi-official sensei's small cottage in the Great Forest towards the East of the palace.

Narrowing her eyes in concentration, Kagome slowly pulled her arrow back even further, aiming at the painted red target placed 40 ft away. But she never had the chance when she saw a maid run up to her.

"Your Highness, the King and Queen require your presence at the throne room. Three more suitors has come to ask you hand in marriage!" exclaimed the maid excitedly.

"Again?" asked the princess, as she rolled her eyes.

"Yes, but all the suitors are all quite handsome this time! Your Highness is so lucky to be blessed with such striking features. I only wish that I myself was half as pretty and talented as you are," replied the maid as Kagome shuddered at the memory of the last suitor. 

"Ha…you wouldn't think so, if you had to deal with all these suitors on a daily basis!" the princess replied irritably, as she stepped before the door to the throne room.

"Presenting Princess Kagome!" announced the guard in a large booming voice. 

Stepping inside the oversized throne room, Kagome quickly noted her mother's disapproving glance at the 'dress' she had picked for the occasion.

"Ah! Kagome, greet Prince Akihito, Yoritomo, and Yoshimitsu." Said the king in a joyous tone.

Kagome mentally rolled her eyes at her father's obvious excitement. "Greetings, Prince Akihito, Yoritomo, and Yoshimitsu. I hope you will enjoy your stay at castle. May I suggest touring the gardens? The roses are blooming exceptionally well this year," said Kagome, giving the princes a forced smile.

But what she really meant to say was: how long are you going to stay at our castle? Go see the roses while jumping around like the blank minded butterflies you are and scram!

While the three slightly dim-witted princes had no idea as to what she really meant, the Queen shot her daughter a warning glare. "What a splendid idea! Why don't you take these three charming young men on a tour of the gardens, Kagome?"

"I-I'm afraid I have dancing lessons this afternoon, and will not have the opportunity to get to know you better." Kagome replied quickly, knowing she has already been trapped hook, line, and sinker. 

"Nonsense. I have already canceled your dancing lessons today Kagome, now take these charming young men to the gardens, and you can have your dancing lesson time doubled tomorrow!" chirped the queen.

Eyes blazing, Kagome turned to glare at the reasons for her demise. "Gardens eh? Of course mother, I assure our guests will have the most unforgettable time." Kagome said good-naturedly, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

Though the three princes were unaware of what awaited them, the king had not missed the flicker in his daughter's eyes. Yup, the three royal guests are really in for it, and they could only blame themselves for crossing his daughter at the wrong time of day.

…

Once in the garden, Kagome forced another fake smile onto her face, and looked each 'royal butterfly' in the eye.

"I hear that you are here to ask my hand in marriage…but…since there is more then one of you, I will have to give you each a test. Of course, that depends on how keen you are in winning my hand in marriage." said Kagome slowly, sounding serious.

"But I will not force you, and those that do not feel up to it can leave without the shame of cowardice," said Kagome, setting the trap. 

It seemed that the word cowardice really struck a note with the three princes, and all of them looked more determined then ever. 'Hah! The idiots actually took the bait!' Hiding a smirk, she continued. "Now, first I will test you in bravery."

Running over to a nearby apple tree, Kagome managed to swipe three ripe apples off a low-hanging branch, giving one to each prince.

"Now, lean against a tree and place the apple on your head." Dumb, dumber, and dumbest looked slightly lost for a second, but they all obeyed anyways.

Picking up her bow and quiver from where she had last left it, Kagome smiled evilly, turning to the three clueless princes.

"Now, in order to hit those apples, you must stay still. I am actually pretty good at archery, so there is nothing for you to worry about." 

Smirking at the fear that suddenly appeared in the eyes of her 'targets', Kagome slowly drew back the bow and pretended to decide which apple she should aim at.

After antagonizing moments of waiting, the three princes began to sweat furiously. Releasing the arrow suddenly, she pinned the fabrics of Prince Yoritomo's Hakama.

Smirking, she said excitedly "Wow! That was a pretty great shot. I was only around 1.5 meters off the mark! I wonder if I can hit it this time though."

Biting back her laughter, she purposely raised her hand-carved bow, so that it aimed directly at the prince's face.

The three stared at her in horror for a moment, and two of them cried simultaneously "I can't do this anymore!" and ran off, while Prince Yoritomo made whimpering noises and desperately tried to free himself from the arrow that was stuck to his Hakama.

After the last of the suitors ran off screaming mommy, Kagome doubled over with laughter, while pounding the ground until her stomach began to hurt. After a few moments of laughing hysterically, Kagome picked herself up from the ground, and soothed her now wrinkled and dirt-stained kimono.

After a few minutes of trying to straighten her elaborate kimono in vain, she gave up. Knowing she had a few hours left to kill before her parents found out about the sudden 'departure' of the three suitors, she decided to do what she loved best— other than visiting her dear old sensei, of course.

Mingling with the commoners…

…

The town was busy as usual, as Kagome made her way through the marketplace. Rows and rows of stalls selling foreign goods lined the streets, while storytellers caught the attentions of younger children.

A bunch of young women brushed past Kagome, fussing over an arrangement of jewelries and make-up at one of the stalls, while a fisherman tried to sell his day's catch at another.

Kagome wore a simple black and gray kimono, the katana that hung from her sash bumping against her legs with each step she took. Fingering the pouch of gold coins that also hung from her sash, she reached up, making sure that the traveler's hat that she wore was still in place. Rearranging the veil that covered her face, she strode down the street, a travel-stained cloak billowing out behind her. 

Stopping at a random food bar to breathe in the wonderful aroma of various foods, Kagome suddenly realized how hungry she was. Scanning her surroundings, she picked a nice shaded area to sit down. Within seconds, a jolly looking waiter with oil stains splattered over his apron walked over towards her.

"May I help you, ma'am?" The waiter asked politely.

"Bring me some tea and the house special, please." Kagome replied in her cultured voice.

"Coming right up!" yelled the waiter enthusiastically as he left to give her order to the chefs.

Moments later, Kagome was sipping her tea in contentment and enjoying her Yakisoba, when she heard a feminine scream.

Kagome quickly stood up and threw down some gold, her right hand gripping the hilt of her katana as she used her left thumb to flick the weapon out of its sheathe.

"Let go of me! W-What do you want?! Please! Help! Someone please help me!" screamed a young girl who was trapped in between three other men. 

"Aw, come on, just go with us for a little while, love. If you behave, no one will have to get hurt." Said a large, burly man with a gruff voice who was obviously the leader. The other two men grinned, one showing off his obvious tooth decay.

Kagome watched disbelievingly as a few people stopped to watch for a few seconds before walking away. Others seemingly pretended not see what was happening.

Sapphire eyes blazing at the bold attempt of the three men, Kagome used her running start as momentum and kicked the man who seemed to be the leader square on the right side of his head with a side run kick, knocking off her hat in the process.

Panting slightly, Kagome stood only meters from the two still standing men who looked at her in utter horror. Finally letting the information sink in their thick skull, they ran to their leader and started to fuss over his condition.

"Boss, are you ok!?" yelled a tall, skinny man with a pockmarked face. 

The leader ignored the concerned questions of his followers and turned to glare at Kagome with cat-like eyes. A grin slowly twisted itself onto his scarred face.

"So you came to offer yourself too huh? I like feisty woman." The brut said, slowly licking his lips.

Kagome tried not to shudder in disgust.

"Over my dead body!" She spat, silently challenging them to dare come forward.

"Get her!" yelled the large men with a scowl on his face.

All three men charged at her simultaneously. Kagome smirked and dodged their clumsy attacks, elbowing the rookie next to her in the stomach before kneeing the boss.

Unable to comprehend how a young girl could knock out his comrades, the first thug charged, and tried to grab her from behind. Sighing in annoyance, Kagome effortlessly executed a reverse kick throw that sent him flying into a nearby fabric stall. But the attack had made her momentarily vulnerable, and the leader took that chance to cut her air off with his arms from behind.

Kagome struggled to breathe as she saw the other followers starting to limp towards her, bending back her right elbow. A wickedly sharp knife came into view, slicing through the fabric of her kimono. Swiping it backwards, she caught the leader unaware and managed to slice him across his abdomen.

Clutching his bleeding stomach, the leader began to charge at her with a vengeance. Seeing her chance, Kagome preformed one of her personal favorite attacks that she named 'Lariat'. Which using the man's neck as a pivot, she swung herself in an arch before brutally kicking the faces of the men surrounding her.

Landing lightly on her feet, she grinned over her shoulder, just in time to see the man grip his neck as if in extreme agony.

Satisfied with her work as all three men lay on the ground moaning in pain, Kagome picked up her hat and tipped it slightly to cover her face once more. Turning around, she arched an eyebrow at the sight of the young woman staring at her in awe.

"You're a woman…" The girl managed, gasping suddenly, before kneeling on her hands and knees, head bent.

"Err…­What's wrong?" asked Kagome with concern.

"F-Forgive me! I did not recognize you at first, your highness." The girl gasped, bending her head even closer to the ground.

"Please, how can I ever repay you?" asked the girl sincerely.

"Nonsense." Kagome waved her hand casually. "Protecting my people is my job, and as for repayment…Kagome drawled slowly.

"Just don't tell anyone that your princess is mingling among commoners." Kagome said, winking at the girl.

Offering the young woman a warm smile, Kagome offered her hand to help the girl get up.

The girl bowed to her and said. "I will keep your identity secret, but I think that it's quite unnecessary already. We are honored to have such a princess as our future ruler. You are already legendary in your kingdom, and many others."

"I-I am?" Kagome asked, surprise etched onto her pretty features. 

"Yes, your highness. Many have been touched by your kindness. Us common folk all know of your identity, but each one of us will promise to take the secrets to our graves. No amount of torture will ever make us lose our loyalty to you!" The girl blurted out, before blushing at her outburst.

"I-I had no idea…" Said the princess, pondering.

"S-So…please take this pendant as a small token of appreciation on behalf of us commoners…" The young woman said, fidgeting.

Seeing the importance in the simple gift, Kagome nodded grimly and accepted the small red pendant.

Turning on her heel, she looked backwards and called out to the still-kneeling girl. "Oh, sorry, but I think I better return to the castle now. If you ever run into trouble again, don't hesitate to ask for my help."

Walking over to the over turned fabric stall, Kagome took out some gold and gave it to the sputtering vendor.

"I'm sorry about your goods. I hope this makes up for it." She said apologetically before walking away.

As she left, heading back towards the palace, Kagome couldn't resist adding a final dramatic twirl of her cloak.

…

A.N. - Hey, I'm sorry that the first chapter lacks much of excitement, but I promise this story will get more exciting later on. Please drop off a review on your way out.


	2. The Man With Golden Eyes

A.N. A thanks goes out to everyone that reviewed, and to my Beta, Yun, who is a part of the reason why I am still continuing this fic. All the encouragements really helped make me write faster. So here's the second Chapter, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

-

Kagome woke up the next morning with a smile on her face. With the knowledge that so many people had already pledged their loyalty to her, she yawned, managing to pull herself up into a sitting position. Kagome felt as if nothing could ruin her good mood today, and her birthday was coming up soon also.

Pushing back the covers, she reluctantly got out of her warm bed, shivering slightly as her bare feet made contact with the cold wooden floor. Pulling on a loose-fitting blue garment that was pale blue in color, she took a moment to marvel at the butterfly designs that were embroidered over the cloth. Slipping on matching pants and a black colored belt, she looked at her reflection in a nearby mirror. It was simple yet flattering, just enough to get her out of the palace without raising much suspicion.

The morning air was cool and crisp with a slight fog hanging over the palace grounds, but the birds chirped and sang their sweet melodies nevertheless. A few rays of sunlight managed to shine through from behind the surrounding mountains, casting everything with a reddish glow. Kagome walked in a brisk pace and soon reached a more secluded part of the royal garden.

Walking over to an unusually large bush, she drew out a plain wooden box, well hidden within the maze of small branches and twigs. Slowly lifting the lid, Kagome grinned as she pulled out a pair of worn-looking leather gloves. Pulling them on, she then proceeded to push her way through the foliage that effectively blocked the small clearing from view. Taking a moment to breath in the fresh air, she looked around the small clearing.

To the normal person, it appeared as nothing more than a small patch of grass. But to her, this was her sanctuary, the place where she always went to when she was sad or lonely. A small smile lifted her lips as she suddenly turned to her left, one hand shooting out to snap the trunk of a small tree. Splinters flew in every direction as she began to take down the foliage that surrounded the clearing. True, this was her haven, but it also happened to double as her training ground.

…

The Queen wasin a pensive moodthis morning. Gingerly rubbing her temples with the tips of her fingers, she sighed in defeat. Looking at her reflection, the Queen had to admit that she was no longer as young as she used to be. Her hands traced over the fine wrinkles that now lined her once-smooth face, and sighed at the touches of gray now mingled in with her jet black hair.

The Queen knew that her daughter was almost an exact replica of what she used to look like, save for the fact their personalities were not even remotely similar. Kagome also had her mother's jet black hair, but it shined with almost a bluish glow. Her daughter's skin was also more tanned, sun-kissed from many hours of staying outside doing who knows what. Although unusual as it seemed, Kagome had inherited both her mother's light gray eyes and her father's sky-blue ones. If one were to look carefully, they would have noticed that the princess's eyes changed from steely gray to sparkling sapphire depending on her mood.

Dressing in a magnificent handmade kimono, the queen prepared herself to greet her husband who had once again had stayed up all night tending to matters of his country.

Brewing a pot of tea to her husband's preference, the Queen exited the room and headed for the King's study, a small train of ladies in waiting trailing behind her. Reaching the entrance to a large room, one of her ladies in waiting gently slid aside the shoji screen, and bowed her head in respect as the Queen stepped through the threshold.

Entering the dark study, the queen saw the silhouette of her husband bent over a large desk covered with last night's work. Clearing her throat, the Queen approached her husband. "Good morning, dear. How are you feeling today?" the Queen questioned softly.

"I'm fine as long as you and my kingdom are happy." answered the King with a reassuring smile.

"I was just thinking of telling you last night that the preparations for Kagome's party are almost ready. We should be able to have everything taken care of by tomorrow." The Queen replied, setting down the cup of tea beside several rolls of parchment.

The king nodded his acknowledgement. It was hard to see his daughter grow up so fast. "Soon she would have to be married off to some other kingdom, since she has somehow managed to scare off all her prospective husbands in this area, you know." The King complained, clearly annoyed by the idea.

The queen placed her hand comfortingly on her husband's shoulders. "I've been thinking about that problem too. I agree that Kagome deserves some outstanding young man, but with the way this is going, she's probably going to die a virgin," she muttered. "This could also potentially ruin our chances of ever having grandchildren." The Queen continued, sniffing at the thought.

"What do you suppose we do, then?" the King asked hurriedly, the part about the grandchildren catching his attention.

The Queen mulled over the question, before replying slowly. "We should invite every single eligible suitor to Kagome's birthday party." The Queen began glumly, pursing her lips.

Patting his wife's hand, the King went back to work, giving his wife his wordless permission.

…

Kagome walked hurriedly back to her sleeping-quarters, her wet hair clinging to the fabric of her yukata, making the morning colder then it already was.

Knocking over various pieces of furniture, Kagome finally picked out an elaborate Kimono that she knew would please her parents. Her birthday was coming up very soon, and she wanted to make the best impression possible that could guarantee her the most amount of presents.

Noting that her fingers were slightly shriveled from the unnecessarily long bath that she took at the hot springs, Kagome tried to rush into her complicatedly designed kimono. Losing her balance while trying to slip into her shoes, Kagome managed to bang her knee against a decorative night stand. Letting out a string of colorful words that would have sent her maids running away blushing, Kagome limped out of her room, wincing in pain.

After eating breakfast, Kagome ran off to her lessons. She had seen the approving glances her mother had thrown her way during the meal. Kagome knew that it had pleased her mother, which meant that wearing the torturous kimono had paid off. All she had to do now was to wait and see if it would result in a few extra gifts.

Kagome was determined to get out of her double dance lesson that day, so she had lightly poisoned her dreaded sensei's afternoon tea, resulting in the teacher not being able to leave the side of a toilet for a few days to come.

Fingering some supposedly very expensive tea and small treats, Kagome wove her way through the forest, noting disapprovingly that she was leaving easily detectable footprints behind.

Mentally taking note that she would somehow need take care of that problem later, she walked deeper into the forest.

Closing in on her sensei's hut, Kagome saw the old woman bent over some dried herbs, sorting them into different piles.

"Kaede-sensei?" Kagome shouted, breaking into a jog in order to reach the hut faster.

"Here ye are Kagome. I thought that ye had forgotten this old woman." greeted her sensei, her single eye twinkling.

"Don't be silly, Kaede-sensei. I could never forget about you. I was simply busy for the past while." Kagome assured the old woman.

So I have heard. Ye seem to have made quite a name for yourself in the last few days, young one. Ye should be more secretive as to your identity, no?" chuckled the old woman. "I'm sure that your parents would disapprove of ye risking your life on a weekly basis."

Blushing slightly from her sensei's words, Kagome quickly handed over the small gifts that she had taken from the palace. "T-these are for you." Kagome muttered, hoping to change the subject.

Accepting the gifts, Kaede suddenly frowned.

"Do you not like the gifts, Kaede-sensei?" a worried Kagome asked.

Kaede shook her head. "No, child. It is not that. Tell me, your birthday is coming soon, is it not?" questioned the old miko.

"Uh,­ hai." Kagome answered, fidgeting uncomfortably under the old woman's glance.

"Ye wait here for a moment, child. I will be right back." Kaede answered before bustling inside the hut.

A moment later, her sensei came back with a large bundle, wrapped in white cloth. Handing it to Kagome, Kaede motioned for her to unwrap it.

Opening the curious little bundle, Kagome's lips parted slightly to let out a small gasp. Inside it, lay the most beautiful bow Kagome had ever seen.

It was absolutely stunning. The wood was polished to absolute perfection, detailed carvings of dragons gracing both tips of the weapon. Even the string was set to perfect tension. Kagome had never seen such adeadly yet delicately-made weapon. Not even the many bows in the royal armory could rival this one.

Kagome allowed her index finger to trace over the delicate gripping area, where sakura blossoms were carved into the beautiful wood. The light reflected off it perfectly, showing that it did not bore any nicks or scratches.

"Kaede-sensei, I cannot take this. It is too precious for you just to give away." Kagome murmured quietly, still in awe of the item that she held in her hands.

Kaede waved it off casually. "Nonsense, child. I am but an old woman. What would I ever do with such a thing? Go ahead and take it, Kagome." the old woman said encouragingly.

"A-arigato, Kaede-sensei. Truly. But may I ask where you got such a thing?" asked Kagome questioned curiously.

Kaede sighed, her aged face suddenly appearing much older. "It used to belong to someone dear to me, child. Someone who shouldn't have died. It's a pity, really. It wasn't anywhere near her time." the miko finally answered sadly.

"Who was this person, Kaede?" Kagome prodded gently.

Kaede gazed off into the distance, a far-away look in her single eye. "She was my sister, child. Her name was Kikyo…."

…

Kagome entered the bustling town on her way back, and was surprised when she was greeted by a few people. Realizing that she had forgotten her disguise back at her sleeping quarters, Kagome decided that this was going to be one of the few times she would ever enter a town without a disguise, if not for political reasons.

Smiling good-naturedly, she waved back at the small group of people. It truly warmed her heart when they had greeted her with a simple "Good day to you, miss," Instead of the honorary 'Princess' or 'Your Highness' titles that she was so tired of. She took comfort in the fact that they actually considered her as one of them, and not just as an arrogant monarch that ruled over the kingdom.

Deciding to take a slightly different route to avoid too much attention, Kagome hurriedly turned a corner to a less occupied part of the town. Intent on getting back to the palace on time, she collided into someone while hurriedly turning another corner.

Caught by surprise, she lost her balance before falling rather ungraciously onto her backside. The gift that Kaede had given her fell out of her grasp, clattering onto the ground.

Scrambling to pick up the bundle, Kagome frantically unwrapped it to check for any sort of damage. A gasp escaped her pink lips when she saw that a small patch of paint had been scratched off. Growling, Kagome raised her head sharply and turned to glare at the cause of her misfortune, only to stare into mesmerizing gold eyes.

"Oi, watch where you're going, wench!" the man shouted, effectively snapping Kagome out of her reverie. She blinked, feeling a hint of annoyance at his arrogant tone. Did he have any idea who he was talking to?

Scowling in displeasure, Kagome glared up at the man. He was clad entirely in red, except for the white undershirt that showed through the slits of his hoari. Besides that, he also wore a traveler's hat much like the one that she had worn the day before, only minus the veil.

A battered-looking katana hung by his side, looking as though it couldn't even cut through paper. Glancing upwards, Kagome's breath hitched as she took in the man's appearance, from his long silver hair, to his chiseled features. Once again drawn to his fascinating eyes, Kagome only then realized that the man was not a human. Forcing her gaze away from his face, she suddenly realized what he had called her. Both anger and indignation rose within her chest, as her eyes turned a cold steel gray.

"What did you call me? If I am not mistaken, you were the one who bumped into me, you baka! And look what you did to my bow!" Kagome shot back, desperately trying to brush the dirt off her clothes.

"Keh. Blame your clumsiness on other people, bitch." the man said carelessly over his shoulder as he began to walk away.

Kagome could've sworn that she saw red. Dropping to the ground, she delivered a swift kick, intent on sweeping the man's legs out from under him. However, in an extraordinary show of reflexes, the man did a one-handed flip and easily avoided her mindless attack.

"Come on. Fight me." Kagome challenged, quickly shifting into a fighting stance. At the back of her mind, she cursed her foolishness at not having brought any weapon of sorts.

The man stared at her intensely for a moment as she glared back at him. Suddenly, the man looked away.

"Keh. I don't have time to play teacher right now. Go find someone else to pick a fight with, will ya?" With that, he turned on his heel and quickly disappeared from view.

"Why that," Kagome seethed. Hearing footsteps behind her, she whipped around.

"Now that's a nice looking bow you got there, miss." said a greasy-looking man.

"So I hope ya don't mind us taking it from ya." said another man who suddenly appeared out of the shadows, looking even more dim-witted than the first man.

"Don't even think about it, you scums." Kagome snarled, her anger coming back full-force.

"Hey Kon, the girl's a pretty little thing, ain't she?" A nearby man said with a slight accent, giving away the fact that he wasn't a native.

"We already have enough bitches for sale on our boat. Why can't we just let this one go?" the one named Kon complained, catching Kagome's attention.

Hearing of what they were selling, Kagome's lips curled in disgust.

"Stop your whining. This one's a lot more better looking then all the other ones. We just need to polish her up a little, don't we, Kon?" grinned the first man.

"Alright," Kon agreed miserably as he moved to grab Kagome from behind.

Easily dodging his attack, Kagome kicked him in the stomach before elbowing him under the chin. But as pain erupted behind her head, Kagome only then realized that the first man had somehow managed to sneak up behind her during the fight. Feeling something wet trickle down her neck, Kagome collapsed into an undignified heap. The last thing she saw before blacking out, was that of the two men grinning down at her.

Inuyasha had began to walk away, when his superior hearing skills had picked up the sounds of a scuffle where he had left the girl.

'So she did pick a fight with someone else, then?' Inuyasha thought with a grin, as he continued along his way.

He wasn't exactly worried about anything happening to her. Besides, her stance and attack told him that the girl was already quite experienced. If he hadn't been a hanyou, he probably wouldn't have been able to dodge it. Darkly, Inuyasha silently thought that the girl seriously deserved whatever she got coming.

A short while later, the sounds of the scuffle ended, and Inuyasha turned around in surprise when he heard only the voices of two men instead of the girl.

He swallowed, allowing the fact that the girl had actually lost to sink in. Clenching and unclenching his fists, he gritted histeeth before continuing on his way.

'She deserves it' Inuyasha reminded himself, as he strode down the dirt path.

A few minutes later, Inuyasha found himself in the town marketplace. Everyone looked friendly and welcomed him warmly, a few passing people even nodding at him. Cursing himself for having a conscience, Inuyasha turned on his heel and dashed back towards the spot where he had first met the strange girl with cold gray eyes.

'Then again,' Inuyasha thought darkly, as he pushed past a few surprised villagers, 'she wouldn't have gotten herself into this mess if I wasn't so fucking lost.'

-

A.N. Inu and Kag finally meets! Hopefully everyone enjoyed it. Please leave a little review at the end, it would mean a lot to me.


	3. Identities Revealed

Chapter 3   
Identities Revealed

A/N: I would like to dedicate this chapter to a friend of mine (you know who you are!), who has just moved recently, and my beta, Yun, who made this fic possible.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

…

Kagome grimaced at the nauseous stench of the thug's shirt. Taking a deep breath, she tried to ignore how the man's large, coarse hands were touching her calves.

Eyeing the thug's sweat-soaked shirt disapprovingly, she silently wondered to herself if the man had even bathed in the past year or so. Wanting nothing more than to jump off and beat the bandits to death, Kagome reminded herself of all the other women that was captured by them, and of their fate if she did not step in to help.

Looking upwards, she sighed in frustration as she noted that the sun was about to set. No doubt her parents would interrogate her after her return. So much for all that effort in putting on that elaborate Kimono…

Heaving a sigh, Kagome once more thought about the strange man with the golden eyes that she had met a few hours ago. She hadn't exactly put much effort into the attack, but it was a rare sight to see someone dodge her well-aimed kick with such fluid grace.

Once more her thoughts drifted to the man's uniquely coloured eyes, their hue in comparison to that of the sun. She could almost recall how she felt like shrinking when his gaze was fixed on her. Kagome had no doubt that the man could give you a hell of a glare when angered.

After what seemed like an eternity of dealing with unpleasant ordours and rough carrying, Kagome mentally noted that they were passing though a small part of the northern woods.

Following a small stream, the two men eventually found their way to a larger river, just large enough to fit in a reasonably sized ship.

"Yo, Osamu! Pull down the board, will ya?" Kon yelled up at the ship.

Soon, some grumbling and swearing could be heard above, as a man came into view, staggering along the way.

"What are ya doing back so early?" hiccupped the man, obviously drunk, and reeking of cheap alcohol.

"We got lucky. Caught ourselves a pretty one." the man carrying Kagome replied.

"Huh," Osamu reacted groggily, "then maybe we should keep her for ourselves, eh?"

"I wouldn't go there, Osamu. This one's real feisty. I don't know if even you can tame her." Kon answered bitterly, and Kagome saw out of the corner of her eye that he was still rubbing the spot where she had kicked him.

Allowing a smirk to cross her lips, Kagome impatiently waited for the two men to come aboard the small vessel.

Once on board, the smell of rotting fish and unwashed garments immediately greeted her olfactory system. Lips curling in disgust, Kagome didn't waste an extra second before ramming her knee into the man's stomach.

…

Inuyasha ran, stopping every once in a while to sniff for the girl's trail on the ground. Letting loose a string of colorful words, he couldn't quite quench the anxious feeling that something might've happened to her.

Running into the fringe of a forest, Inuyasha checked if anyone was watching, before getting down on his hands and knees to sniff for the girl's trail once more.

Inuyasha thought it was highly unfair that his brother never had to do anything this embarrassing. With a stab of resentment, Inuyasha wondered where his brother was at that moment—probably out terrorizing another one of his subjects. He chuckled at the mental picture of Sesshoumaru sniffing around on the ground.

Kami, how he would love to see his older half-brother get his royal ass kicked once in a while.

Inuyasha wasn't blind. He just happened to know that his half-brother and the older generals of the court thought of him as a dirty and worthless half-breed. They were always taunting him, muttering amongst themselves about how weak and pathetic he was.

Even though they obviously had a low opinion about his intelligence, Inuyasha knew that he wasn't exactly stupid. How else would he have managed to survive all those assassination attempts, then? He only took on the role of being mentally deficient to lull the nobles in his brother's court into a false sense of security. It had worked reasonably well. He was still alive and breathing, was he not?

Setting his lips into a thin line, Inuyasha hurried his pace as he picked up the girl's scent from nearby. Latching onto that scent, he followed it through the forest. Eyes widening as he saw a small vessel anchored by the side of a nearby river, Inuyasha hastily jumped aboard…only to collide into the body of large man as he was thrown overboard.

…

"W-what are you doing here?" Kagome questioned angrily, panting slightly from her recent workout.

"What am I doing here! I came here to save your sorry ass, you ungrateful wench! So watch where you throw your toys!" Inuyasha yelled back, golden eyes flashing under the dim light.

"Why, you…!" Kagome trailed off as she elbowed Osamu under the chin.

As the thugs rolled around the floor moaning in pain, Kagome marched over to Inuyasha, and stood close in front of him so that they were almost nose-to-nose. She glared at him straight in the eyes, before continuing her furious rant.

As she bickered on with the strange man, Kagome failed to notice that one of the thugs had gotten to his feet, and unsteadily drew a knife out of his boots.

Charging at Kagome's back, Kagome turned one second too late, and prepared for the impact with her eyes squeezed tightly shut. Surprisingly, the pain never came.

Trembling slightly, she cracked an eye open when she felt two strong arms wrap around her waist. Blinking, she was shocked to find the silver-haired man was holding her protectively. She gasped however, when he suddenly crumpled to the floor, holding a wound on his side.

Staring stupidly for a second, she quickly regained her senses when she saw the large amount of blood poured from the man's wound. Running to his side, Kagome quickly began to inquire about his health.

"Go after them, you idiot!" the man screamed at her.

Still shocked, Kagome was speechless.

When she finally managed to snap out of her stupor, most of the thugs had already ran away. Seeing that then men had lost everything except the clothes on their backs, Kagome took pity on them and watched them go.

Turning back to the silver haired man, Kagome shifted uncomfortably under his intense stare. "Um…they got away."

"Well they wouldn't have, if you weren't so damn stupid." the man replied bitterly, looking a lot healthier than a few moments before

Kagome's eyes flashed in anger.

"Then excuse me, mister! What are you doing here anyways!" Kagome yelled back, forgetting that he had probably just saved her life.

"Well I wouldn't be here if you weren't so weak to lose to two measly thieves!" Inuyasha retorted hotly.

"For your big fat information, I did it purposely!" Kagome bit out.

"Y-you wah?" Inuyasha replied intelligently, backing up a step.

Sighing, Kagome continued slowly. "I don't have time to be arguing with a baka like you. Come on. These men kidnapped some young woman. Give me a hand with them."

Beckoning for him to follow her, she turned and walked away

Inuyasha, still fuming, ran after her. The thought that the ebony haired girl had a noble intention in getting kidnapped not only surprised him, but also earned his silent respect.

Following the girl, they came to a small hallway, where soft shuffles and whimpers could be heard. Even without his heightened sense of smell, Inuyasha knew that the girl would also be able to smell the disgusting stench of rotting food and unwashed bodies.

Following the narrow hallway, they soon came to a small prison cell. With his sharp eyes, Inuyasha made out the silhouettes of young women, all huddled together in fright.

Kneeling, Kagome said soothingly "Everything is going to be alright now, those men are gone now. Now, tell me where the keys are."

Many frightened faces looked up, glimmers of hope shining in their eyes. For a few minutes, there was no answer.

"They p-probably left it in their chambers…"came the nervous response of one young woman.

"Alright, we will go look for the keys, and you will soon be out of here in no time." Kagome said amiably, purposely adding 'we' as to not leave the strange man in a cell full of frightened women.

"W-wait!" came the desperate cry from someone within the cell, "please, they took my older sister with them the last time they came, it is all my fault…they were after me…and she protected me with her very life. Please find her!"

Giving a solemn nod, Kagome replied, "We'll try."

Knowing that the older sister might very well be dead, Kagome turned her face away before anyone could see the flicker of sympathy flash across her cold grey orbs.

Backing up to the other side of the hallway they came from, Kagome took silent comfort in her savior's presence, even though they had just met. She surprised herself when she realized that she had somehow come to rely on him.

Approaching what she assumed to be the thug's sleeping quarters, Kagome opened the first door only to find it empty of the young woman that was mentioned. Strolling into none-too-clean room, Kagome wrinkled her nose in distaste at the broken ale bottles that littered the filthy floor.

Opening a chest in the corner, her eyes widened at the sight of the gold and finery that was in them. Closing the lid, Kagome began to drag it out with her.

Feeling the heated glare of the silver haired man, Kagome turned to face him, only to be shocked by his cold words.

"So you were in it for the money, huh?" the man said, his golden eyes piercing.

Lips thinning into a frown, Kagome replied as calmly as she could. "This is for the women here who have lost everything, I have no need for money."

Walking after the girl, Inuyasha suddenly felt ashamed. The girl's intentions were pure, yet he had accused her otherwise and thought it impossible for anyone to risk their lives for no gain.

Entering the next room, they found a small form huddled in the rough straw bed. Walking closer, Kagome saw that it was the form of a young woman, barely covered and struggling for breath.

Putting her hands on the young woman's back, Kagome helped her to sit, but as soon as she sat up, she stared at Kagome in terror and slapped her hand away.

"H-hey! What's your problem? I'm only trying to help!" Kagome yelled in her defense.

"Leave her alone, don't you see that she has gone through a lot?" the silver haired man said, reaching to the side of his belt.

"Here, drink this." he said simply, handing a leather flask to the young woman, gradually helping her sit up.

Seeing the young woman's grateful eyes, she suddenly felt a small pang of jealously; he was so kind to her…was she so repulsive that no one cared enough to do that for her?

Turning away, Kagome said frostily "I'm going to go to the next room to see if they hidden any treasure in there," and walked out of the room.

In fact, there was treasure hidden in all of the rooms, dragging them all out behind her, Kagome clutched in her hand the most valuable treasure of all, the keys.

Eyes blazing at the thought of what the three men did to obtain all this, Kagome was surprised when she felt someone else helping her drag the gold out. Looking up, her now sapphire eyes met with liquid gold. Locking their gaze for a while, Kagome quickly turned away before he could see her face heat slightly, and muttered a quick thank you.

Carrying all the gold above deck, Kagome went back to the prison cell and freed the prisoners, each thanking her gratefully in return. Letting them devour whatever food was on hand, Kagome was leading them on deck to split the gold when she heard the sudden scream of someone's name.

Turning to look, Kagome froze for a split second when she saw that Inuyasha carrying the young woman that was found in the thug's room. The girl was more clothed then when they first saw her.

Her hair was matted over her face and her frail body was bruised, plus the corner of her mouth was swollen, causing the lip to bleed slightly. Even with all her injuries, Kagome could easily tell that the girl was beautiful. The girl was trembling slightly and squinted at the sudden sunlight. Clinging to the youth's neck as her lifeline, she buried her face in his chest and tightened her grip.

Whimpering slightly when Inuyasha put her down, the young woman began to wobble on her knees and almost fell, when Inuyasha caught her. Looking away, Kagome divided the gold among the women there and gave a little extra to the young woman and her sister.

Soon, all the women left. Climbing down the half broken ladder, Kagome found that the young woman was still talking to the silver haired youth. Gritting her teeth, Kagome blinked in surprise. When did she start to care about what the guy did with his life? She'd only known him for what, two hours?

Walking up to the 'couple', Kagome gently prompted the girl that her sister was still waiting for her. Reluctantly, the young girl begged for a few more minutes and said she would soon leave.

Sighing slightly, Kagome picked up her bow and got off the ship, and began to pace impatiently. If anything, she really needed to get going. Looking up once more, Kagome saw the silver haired man take something out of his pocket and gave it to the girl, before leaning over to whisper something in her ear.

Soon, the girl climbed off board with the help of her new found 'friend,' and gave a wide smile before running off to join her sister.

Seeing the silver haired man walk closer to her, Kagome looked towards the ship and drew her sword.

"Are you going to try to pick a fight with me again?" the silver haired man asked, his tone uncaring.

"No, just thinking of the best way to sink this ship" she replied evenly.

Shrugging, the silver haired man reached out his hand. "Give me your katana for a moment?"

Eyes narrowing, Kagome look at him straight in the eyes, searching for any sign of deception. Finding none, Kagome cautiously handed her katana over to him.

Taking her katana, the man seemed to examine it for a moment. Then with one great leap that Kagome couldn't even catch completely; he slashed a calculated blow on the bottom side of the small vessel. Soon, in the matter of seconds, the ship had almost completely sank below the surface of the lake

Trying to keep an unimpressed façade, Kagome found that she couldn't keep in how surprised she really was by his skill. Sheathing her katana as it was handed back to her, Kagome began to walk away.

Soon hearing footsteps close behind her, she knew the silver haired man had caught up with her.

"You know, you could be a bit more polite to me. I just saved your sorry butt out there," the silver haired man said reproachfully.

"Well," Kagome snapped back in her defense "I wouldn't have needed to be 'saved' if you didn't com-" stopping suddenly, Kagome realized that the man standing before her had taken knife wound for her.

Face tinged slightly pink, Kagome turned away and asked "H-how's your wound? Does it…still hurt?"

"Keh, of course it doesn't. Its probably already healed now." the man replied, turning his face the other way.

"Oh, ya? Then explain why it doesn't look healed." Kagome said stubbornly, as she poked the wound.

"Ouch!" hollered the man.

Raising an eyebrow, Kagome said smugly "See? It does hurt."

"It doesn't hurt! It should be healed by now, and what hurts are those absurdly long nails of yours!" the man responded angrily, "Look. It _is_ already— it's not healed…I don't understand…"

"Well duh, you just got it didn't you? And speaking of long nails, you are the one who should cut _your _nails. They look like they can kill." Sighing slightly, Kagome continued "Come on, the wound probably didn't heal so well because it was infected. I'll help you clean it up."

Kagome lead the man to a large nearby tree. Bidding him to lean against it, Kagome ordered "You'll have to leave that wound yours out in plain view before I can clean it."

The man looked at her with a puzzled expression. Looking away, Kagome knew she didn't know how to explain it better then that.

Turning back a few seconds later, Kagome noted approvingly that he somehow got what she was trying to say and had taken off part of his outer garment, leaving his injured side exposed.

Ripping off a piece of her kimono, Kagome dipped it in her drinking flask and wet it before gently cleaning out the wound. Before fussing about what to wrap the wound in, she suddenly remembered that Kaede had given her some poultice for her injured knee when she had last seen her.

Biting her lips, Kagome hastily dug it out of a pouch that hung by her side. Opening it, she couldn't help but cringe a little at the strong, bitter smell. Looking over at the silver haired man, she noted surprisingly that he looked about ready to faint.

Moving in closer to apply the poultice, the silver haired man gave her a skeptical look, looking slightly blue from the strong herbal scent. Carefully applying the poultice on the injury, Kagome noticed that the man didn't look very old, perhaps no older then herself. For some strange reason, he seemed to be avoiding her gaze, and was now gazing intently at a patch of grass nearby.

Looking around for something to wrap the cleaned wound with, Kagome's eyes fell on the soft white cloth that was wrapped around her new bow. Gently unwrapping it, Kagome took the cloth between her teeth, before tearing it into a single long strip. Firmly wrapping the makeshift bandage around the man's torso, she made sure that it wouldn't fall off. Feeling his eyes on her, Kagome hesitated a moment before she lifted her face to stare at him.

"I'm done," she stated simply.

Standing, Kagome offered her hand when she saw that he was struggling to stand up.

Taking her hand, he said "Keh. I don't need your help."

Walking together in comfortable silence, Kagome inwardly cringed at the thought of the inevitable meeting with her parents, but then again, they wouldn't really get mad at her for it, would they? Tomorrow was her birthday after all.

Finally reaching a spot where the road divided into two forks, both of them stopped. Kagome said, "This is where I turn. You really shouldn't have come after me, but thank you anyways."

"You must to be the most unreasonable person I ever met" the young man mumbled, surprising Kagome with a boyish grin.

"So...I guess this is goodbye then…" Kagome half whispered.

Turning her back to leave, Kagome quickly remembered something. Whirling around, Kagome shouted after the departing man "Hey! What's your name?"

"Inuyasha!" was the reply. "What's yours!"

"KagSaori!" Kagome caught herself, knowing better then to give out her real name.

So…her new friend shall know her by what all the commoners acknowledged her as.

…

A.N. I am really sorry how late this chapter came out, but my evil English teacher gave me an assignment which took me 13 hours to complete, then on the same day I handed it in, I came down with the flu. I know I shouldn't make excuses, but I hope everyone will understand I also have my own life outside of the fanfiction world, gomen!


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